Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



R. WHITE.

Breech-Loading Fire-Arm.

Nd. 12,638. Patented Apr. 3, 1855.

Minus. Frimamuoemfiheiz. WASHIIIOTON. 0 a

trigger-sprin g.

ROLLIN \VHITE, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 12,638, dated April 3, 1855.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROLLIN WHITE, of the city and county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire- Arms, which, to distinguish from other inventions of mine for the same purpose, I will denominate No. 3; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figurelis aside view of a pistol constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2, a longi tudinal central section of the same; and Fig. 3, a transverse section of the same in the line as x of Fig. 1, looking toward the breech.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists, first, in applying a sliding breech to operate in connection with the trigger through a tumbler in substantially the same manner as the hammer of the firearms heretofore most commonly used, thereby making the breech serve not only to close the chamber, but as the hammer, hence simplifying in a very great degree the construction of breech-loading fire-arms.

It consists, secondly, in adevice which serves the purposes of conducting the cartridge into the chamber, and of preventing its escape at the rear of the chamber before the liberation of the breech by the trigger.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to do.- scribe its construction and operation.

A is the sliding breech, which is made all in one piece with the tumbler a, and works on a pivot, 12, which corresponds with the arbor or pivot of the hammer in fire-arms of usual construction. The breech fits into a breech-supporter in the stock in the same manner as any other sliding breech which works on a pivot.

d is the trigger, and e the .sear in the tumbler.

is the mainspring, which connects with the tumbler through a link, 9, and h is the The breech may either carry a nipple, t, to receive a cap, which, when the breech is liberated by the trigger and falls into its place, will be driven by the mainspring in contact with a steel or iron projection, j, within the stock with sufficient force to be exploded, to fire the charge through a vent in the breech, or may carry a needle, k, to pass through a hole in the chamber and pierce a percussion or friction priming applied to the rear of the cartridge; or it may be made to explode the cartridge by shearing of its rear end, which in that case would be furnished with a friction-priming for the purpose.

B is a steel plate hinged to one side of the stock C, and made of such form as to serve as a seat upon which to place the cartridge before pushing it into the rear of the chamber.

This plate is made of itself sufficiently elastic,

or should have a spring applied to it in such a manner as to allow it, when thebreech is raised, to be pressed down by the cartridge with the fingers, in loading, far enough into the breechspace to enable the cartridge to be pushed from it by the fingers into the chamber, but as to cause it, when the cartridge is in the chamber and the fingers are removed, to stand across the rear of the chamber, as shown in black outline in Fig. 3, and. thus prevent the cartridge falling out at the rear of the chamber before it is fired. The breech is chamfered out on one side, as shown atl in Figs.

1 and 3, and the plate B so formed that the breech, in falling, when set free by the trigger, will push it aside, as shown in red outline in Fig. 3.

In fire-arms constructed on this principle the breech is drawn back and cooked in the same way as the hammer of common smallarms, and, like that, when the trigger is drawn, it is driven into its place to close the rear of the chamber by the mainspring, the charge being exploded after the breech has reached its place either by the striking of the cap or the perforation or shearing of the priming applied to the cartridge, as hereinbefore described.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to serve not only its proper purpose of closing the rear of the chamber, but as the hammer for effecting the explosion of the charge, as is liberated, as herein set forth. herein fully set forth.

ROLLIN XVHI'IE. 2. The spring-plate B, applied substantially Vitnesses: as described, to serve as a guide to conduct J os. R. HAWLEY, the cartridge into the open chamber, and as HENRY L. PRATT.

a guard to prevent the cartridge falling out at the rear of the chamber before the breech 

